Does your church members crave for sermon media content?

Church members expect to receive the word each time they set foot in the house of worship. Many can’t wait to hear the pastor start teaching the sermon lesson. Sometimes members want more than what is delivered on a Saturday or Sunday gathering. Many churches use old school methods like recording the sermon audio or video on CDs. The member can then pick the CD up in few hours after the meeting. This can be time consuming and expensive for any ministry. Just editing a video or audio file could cost 100s of dollars.

Well many churches have turned to delivery their sermon media in a different way. A church app. Mobile technology advancements, allow us to receive our sermon media in the blink of an eye when you want it.

Church apps have several forms of delivering media to your mobile phone. First, video can be uploaded to a hosting partner like YouTube or Vimeo for free. Then integrated into the church app via a RSS feed. Second, is sermon audios. Think about listening to your favorite pastor while cooking dinner, sitting at a little league football game, cutting the lawn, or any other time besides being physically at church. This also allows a member to turn their most stressful time into positive encouragement time. The final form of sermon media delivery, is live streaming video. That right! Many churches are using their church apps to create something similar to live T.V. It’s actually better.

Members don’t have to sit through commercials or hunt for on-demand channel recordings. They can just click one button at the streaming live service time and Bam! I once heard a member discuss why they liked the live streaming service. They stated that they attends service in N.Y almost every Sunday, but its certain times of the year streaming the service is better. One example they gave was “Easter Sunday.” They stated on this particular day they always stay home because it’s no parking spots open. Instead of trying for fine a parking spot and then a seat, they rather stay home and stream the service. In addition, they said they tithe their donation through the app at the same time.

You can see church app media is the new way to delivery and receive sermon media. If your church doesn’t have an app they are missing out.

Reaching your Sunday congregation on the other 6 days of the week can be tough. Members who aren’t involved in church activities outside the regular service—especially newcomers—tend to feel slightly isolated from the community. As welcoming as your church may be, it’s important to extend invitations for the fresher faces to participate through many channels. More committed members, too, may drift from season to season, so finding proactive methods to strengthen and unite your community is essential for the long-term health of your whole congregation.

Beyond an active social media presence, what can you do? Mail gets tossed and flyers left behind, but a mobile app keeps your churchgoers tuned in even when they’re not in the pews. Below are 5 main ways a mobile app can help you build a better community.

Highlight Events

The simple-to-use Events feature is a wonderful way to pack your calendar. Members can view event details in just a couple clicks and RSVP right through the app. You can update event information at any time and notify users of upcoming fundraisers, bible studies, potlucks, and more.

Accept Donations

Up the ease of giving by accepting donations through a Merchandise feature or linking to your website’s donation page. It’s great way to reduce paper waste and give your congregation a quick way to chip in, no checkbook required. You can also sell tickets to next month’s fundraiser or your very own churchandise (that’s church merch).

Post Sermons

Keep your daily messages on your members’ minds. Recorded sermons are easy to share and promote. Upload an mp3, sync up your church’s podcast, or link to your YouTube channel to host recordings through your app. Users can tune into the sermons they missed or re-listen to their favorites right within the app.

Send Updates

You’re just a few clicks from reaching users anywhere, anytime with unlimited push notifications. They’re more cost-effective, less time-consuming, and easier to create than text message marketing or email newsletters. Link to your hosted sermons, remind people about tonight’s event, and get creative with custom messaging options. Users can click through to view the essential content after you grab their attention with a pop-up notification. It’s a great way to keep your congregation in the know.

Gain Subscribers

Rather than circulating a sign-up form after services, invite users to join your mailing list when they launch your app. You can start a new email list through the app or integrate with a 3rd party newsletter service. Either way, you’ll be boosting your subscribers with each new download and eliminating the paperwork.